Automobile engine misfires increase the amount of unburned combustion byproducts passing through the catalytic converter. Engine misfire occurs as a result of the absence of spark in a cylinder, poor fuel metering, poor compression, or other similar conditions. Over time, regular engine misfire can lead to damage of the catalytic converter and, consequently, increased amounts of unburned byproducts being admitted into the atmosphere.
Many motor vehicles with fuel feedback control systems are equipped with an emission malfunction indicator that identifies a misfiring engine and the particular malfunctioning component or components. Thus, upon the malfunction indicator being activated, the vehicle operator could proceed to a qualified vehicle repair center to have the malfunctioning component repaired or replaced before an excessive amount of exhaust byproducts is emitted into the air by the vehicle.
While conventional misfire detection approaches are effective in detecting engine misfire, there is still room for improvement in the art. In particular, calibration of misfire detection systems requires significant time and can be expensive. Additionally, it is difficult to achieve optimal calibration when doing calibration manually. Consequently, there is a need to systematically calibrate the misfire detection systems to optimize detection of misfires and minimize false misfire readings.